The Odeion of Perikles

About this book

This dissertation covers the history of the Odeion from its construction on the south slope of the Athenian Acropolis in ca. 446 BCE until its destruction six hundred years later. The Odeion was used for various things in its lifetime: for example, it was the site of the Proagon for the City Dioysia; it housed bardic contests; it served as a granary in the fourth century BCE. The building was roughly 68.5 meters on a side, held nearly 100 columns inside, was completely enclosed, and had a portico running the width of the front. The dissertation includes all the extant testimonia on the Odeion, both in the original language and in translation. It also includes a lengthy discussion of some of the historical problems of the Pentacontaetia.